Akita Prefecture · Tohoku
道の駅 清水の里・鳥海郷
With the shop closed, use this stop to rest on a Mount Chokai foothills drive, then plan shopping at Sailand, a waterfall visit, and a hot spring separately.
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Eat, shop, play, take in the view or rest. Choose from the station’s strengths to suit your day.
The shop and restaurant have ended operations. Plan meals elsewhere.
Drive there for wild mountain vegetables, mushrooms, vegetables, fruit and Chokai gentians.
When the season and weather allow, head to the highlands after your station break.
Add autumn foliage, summer coolness and Mount Chokai foothills scenery.
Ease driving fatigue with a day-use hot-spring bath; check its closed days first.
Nono Kashiwagi sees Shimizu no Sato Chokaigo as a place to separate the rest stop from the next destination. Use the toilets, get some fresh air, then shop at Sailand, play in the highlands, see the falls or choose a hot spring if it rains. Even with the shop and restaurant closed, it remains a useful gateway to the Mount Chokai foothills when you plan the sequence well.
This is a place to decide the family's next move during a break, rather than drop a destination.
Roadside Station Shimizu no Sato Chokaigo (道の駅 清水の里・鳥海郷) is a mountain-area rest stop on National Route 108 in Chokai, Yurihonjo City. The station shop and restaurant ended operations on March 25, 2026, but the toilets remain available 24 hours a day and the rest facility from 8:00 to 20:00. Its role is now clear: stop here for the toilet and a break, then drive about 15 minutes to Sailand for shopping, take children to Hanatate Ranch Park for outdoor play, see Hottai Falls, or visit Chokaiso for a hot-spring bath before heading home. Editor Nono Kashiwagi suggests planning these Mount Chokai foothills stops in an order that works for the family, rather than trying to do everything at the station.
Yurihonjo City lists the station's Hot In Chokai direct-sales shop and restaurant as closed; the Tohoku Roadside Stations Liaison Council says their operations ended. The toilets, rest facility and parking remain available, making this a practical break before or after a drive on National Route 108.
Sailand, a farm-produce shop that has also been named as a seller of roadside-station collectible cards, carries Chokai-area produce including wild mountain vegetables, mushrooms, vegetables, fruit and Chokai gentians. For food and shopping, continue to Sailand instead of searching at the station.
Older tourism information described a plaza and play equipment beside the station. Today, a short stretch followed by Hanatate Ranch Park or Hottai Falls makes more sense than planning half a day at the station. Separating the toilet stop, rest and outdoor play can make the trip easier for families.
From spring through autumn, look for wild mountain vegetables, flowers, highlands, waterfalls and fall foliage. In winter, check snowfall and road conditions. On a clear day, consider Mount Chokai views; in rain, a hot spring; in heat, the highlands; and in autumn, the foliage at Hottai Falls.
Spend your time at the station or add somewhere nearby. These ideas help you plan around your companions and the weather.
Park first, then let everyone use the toilets and rest facility. Instead of spending time looking for food or shopping inside the station, decide whether to stop at Sailand next or head to Hanatate Ranch Park.
Toilet and rest at the station → Sailand or Hanatate Ranch Park.
The station shop and restaurant are not operating, so plan meals at another location.
On a day for local produce, use the station as a rest stop before going to Sailand. Expect wild mountain vegetables in spring and vegetables, fruit, flowers and mushrooms from summer to autumn; this is the main shopping stop for Mount Chokai foothills products.
Station → Sailand → Chokaiso or Hottai Falls if desired.
Stock varies by season and time of day, so do not rely on finding one particular item.
The Mount Chokai foothills feel different as the weather changes. On a clear day suited to activity, head to Hottai Falls or Hanatate Ranch Park; on a rainy or chilly day, choose Chokaiso. The station break is a useful point to decide.
Station → choose Hottai Falls, Hanatate Ranch Park or Chokaiso according to the weather.
Snow, road conditions, fog and rainfall can change how easy it is to reach mountain-side spots.
Check autumn foliage reports for Hottai Falls before setting out. Rest at the station, see the falls, and bathe at Chokaiso before heading home; this route works well even while the station shop is closed.
Station → Hottai Falls → Chokaiso.
For events such as the autumn foliage festival, separately check dates, traffic and crowding.
In winter, keep shopping and sightseeing plans modest and use this as a rest facility on National Route 108. Stop for the toilet and a break; before going farther, check road conditions, opening hours and the hot spring's closed days.
Rest at the station → depart or visit the hot spring as road conditions allow.
During the snow season, do not force extra mountain-side stops into the route.
As listed by Yurihonjo City.
The free lounge and information terminal are available from 8:00 to 20:00.
Notice effective March 25, 2026.
The shop's official site says it closes at 17:00 from December 1 to April 15, rather than the usual 18:00; closed December 31 to January 2. Check current information.
Stars show the editorial recommendation for each age group on a five-point scale. Read the reasons alongside each rating.
Useful for a toilet stop and a short break.
Do not assume you can complete feeding or a meal inside the station; keep the stop brief.
A chance to get out of the car and change position.
Rather than playing at the station for long, head to the next outdoor stop, such as Hanatate Ranch Park, if the weather is good.
Combine a waterfall, highlands and farm shop to keep the day varied.
Use the station for toilets and regrouping, and go elsewhere for play.
The Mount Chokai foothills, waterfall, ranch and hot spring combine readily into a half-day outing.
Switch between Hottai Falls or the highlands in good weather and Chokaiso in rain.
Permanent spaces and dated events are listed separately. Events can change both the atmosphere and crowds; use the official links for details.
Checking event dates.
The toilets are available all day; check the rest facility and stamp hours. The station shop and restaurant have ended operations.
For shopping, check what Sailand currently has in stock, including wild mountain vegetables, fruit, mushrooms and Chokai gentians, as well as roadside-station card sales.
For an autumn visit, check festival dates, foliage, parking and road conditions, and look for Chokai Dam-related events if they interest you.
Around-Mount-Chokai stamp rallies and touring campaigns apply only during their announced dates.
Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.
The key point for a visit now: older information may still suggest 百宅そば (local soba, or buckwheat noodles) or shopping inside the station. Use the station as a rest facility and plan food and shopping nearby.
In this mountain area along National Route 108, the station is still valuable as a reliable toilet and rest stop. Plan it as a practical break rather than a meal destination.
Shopping has moved away from the station itself. The visitor stamp remains in the rest facility during its opening hours, while the collectible card is sold at Sailand.
Past reviews mention the restaurant, 百宅そば, and winter rice crackers. Operations have since changed, so check the current status before relying on those older experiences.
Wild mountain vegetables, mushrooms, vegetables, fruit, flowers and processed goods make it a stop that fills the shopping role once served by the station.
Hottai Falls offers nature walks and an autumn foliage festival; Chokaiso offers day-use bathing. When weather in the mountains turns poor, the hot spring is an easier choice.
Official videos show the market and nearby park before you visit. Audio and captions are in Japanese.
If the video does not load, watch it on YouTube
Opening and closure days, individual businesses and facilities for children or dogs can affect your plans.
Specialities, places to eat, sweets and bakeries can all give you a reason to stop. Check individual menus for current prices and availability.
A meal, a sweet treat, market shopping or something to take away: choose a focus for the day instead of trying everything at once.
Do not plan this as a dining or shopping destination. Use it for rest, toilets and the station stamp.
The main stop for Chokai-area shopping; drive there after a station break.
Good for souvenirs or meals at home. Expect the selection to change with the season.
Use an open nearby dining spot rather than relying on the station restaurant. Soba are buckwheat noodles.
Suited to days when rest matters more than a meal, rainy days, or a pause before the return drive.
If the map does not load, open it in Google Maps
With the shop closed, use this stop to rest on a Mount Chokai foothills drive, then plan shopping at Sailand, a waterfall visit, and a hot spring separately.
Good after a toilet and rest stop at the station when you want to shop for Chokai-area products. If you want a roadside-station collectible card, check its sales location before going.
Good for extending a station break into a nature walk on a clear day or during autumn foliage. Check rainfall, roads and festival crowds first.
Good when rain rules out the falls or highlands, or for easing driving fatigue before heading home. Note the listed closure on the first Monday of the month.
Suited to outdoor play for ages 4–6 through elementary school. Using the station for toilets and rest and the highlands for play makes the family route easier to plan.
Send your travel companions a possible stop.
